Good morning!
Well, I say morning, but we're in the Middle Stratum where the only light source is magma, so time’s completely meaningless.
Still, having two of us is great. One can keep watch while the other evolves, so safety during evolution is way better.
Koke-chan is really skilled with magic, so even in places where it’s hard to set up camp, she can instantly create a hiding spot. Plus, she can use water and healing magic, so she can cancel out fire attacks from Middle Stratum enemies and heal damage too. That’s seriously reassuring.
That rolling movement method of hers is way too intense—it honestly freaks me out—but it takes such precise magical control to pull that off. Knowing that she’s fighting alongside me with that kind of skill is incredibly dependable.
But seriously, [Omniscient] is totally cheating!
What’s with “detecting with control”? That’s a totally overpowered skill that covers all its downsides and then some!
Meanwhile, my starting skill was just [Skanda] *(Idaten)—it only makes me run faster!
...Well, putting that aside.
Thinking back, I didn’t know that my first evolution would knock me out or drain both my MP and SP. Combine that with having the weakest stats of any species, and I think I was in way more danger than I realized back then.
Now I’ve got an ally who’ll protect me during my vulnerable evolution stage, so I don’t have to worry about being attacked in my sleep!
...Though if an opponent shows up that neither of us can handle, we’re still in deep trouble.
Now then, where’s Koke-chan... ah, there she is.
She’s in the exact same spot as when I started evolving, and it looks like she barely moved.
If Koke-chan hasn’t moved, then I guess nothing happened?
When it comes to detection ability, Koke-chan is vastly superior to me. If anything had happened, she would’ve noticed right away.
(...Ah, you’re awake? Kumoko-chan)
Even though Koke-chan wasn’t even looking my way, she immediately contacted me with [Telepathy] the moment she realized I’d finished evolving.
So fast. Her reaction speed is insane.
I’ve gotten kind of used to voices popping into my head recently, but it still startles me.
I can handle it when I’m mentally prepared, but if she hits me with it out of nowhere, I still blank out.
Because of that, there’ve been many times I froze and didn’t respond for ages, but Koke-chan always waited patiently for me.
Even when I got stuck in a guilty feedback loop, unsure how to reply and feeling bad for making her wait, Koke-chan never got upset. She just waited.
Even when I kept her waiting for like ten minutes—or maybe even longer—she never got angry or exasperated. She just waited until I responded.
Back in my previous life, when classmates talked to me and I froze, they’d usually get annoyed or avoid me and eventually stop talking to me altogether.
But Koke-chan still waits for me.
Thinking back, we barely interacted in our previous life. I was the indoor type who skipped outdoor activities, and she only teased me a little every now and then.
From the vague memories I have, she was the kind of person who gave her all to what she loved, not really caring what others thought. So in a good way—and maybe a bad way too—she kind of stood out.
Well, she was pretty sociable, so she stood out in a more positive way. Unlike me, who stood out for all the wrong reasons.
...Wait, this isn’t the time to be reminiscing.
Even when I space out like this, Koke-chan patiently waits. For someone like me with zero social skills, she’s really a blessing.
I wave one of my newly evolved, scythe-like front legs to reply.
I told her before that I can’t use telepathy, so even if I don’t reply with words, she never complains.
Honestly, I’m really grateful for that—like, truly, from the bottom of my heart.
I’ve taken advantage of that and pretended all this time that I still can’t use telepathy, even though I’ve actually learned it. It’s just my selfish way of keeping things the way they are.
But I don’t have the courage to speak up, so even though I feel guilty about lying, I keep it to myself. At least for now...
We switched roles, and Koke-chan started her evolution.
During evolution, the body gets rebuilt, but the process seems to vary depending on the species.
In my case, I molt like during level-ups, and my body gradually changes form as I shed layer after layer of skin.
Koke-chan, on the other hand, swells up into a perfect sphere of Kokedama, and her body transforms inside.
Last time, I was shocked when the outer green moss peeled off and a vibrant yellow-green burst out from within.
But I have no idea what’ll happen this time.
When Koke-chan asked me about which evolution path to choose, I panicked and couldn’t answer right away, but eventually, we went through the options one by one and narrowed them down.
—Or rather, she took the time to explain everything slowly so I could follow along.
First, we ruled out the evolutions that made her bigger.
In this rough terrain, getting huge would make it hard to move. One wrong step and she’d end up taking a magma dive.
Then there was the evolution that granted flight, which was super tempting—but we didn’t know where the evolution tree would go from there, so we played it safe.
Even if that evolution seemed powerful now, if the next one was weak or didn’t exist, it could be a dead end.
Apparently, none of the Kokedama in her former swarm had evolved along that line either.
That left only one option: Mari Cocoon.
Clearly, it looked like a high-risk evolution with a lot of drawbacks. But the description hinted at another evolution beyond that—one that sounded like a complete rebirth.
Taking the long view, we figured it might be worth the risk.
Now then, while Koke-chan evolves, time to prep some eel.
Ooh!? These scythe-like forelegs are razor-sharp!
They slip right between the scales and flesh—scale removal’s a breeze now!
Alright, let’s dig in.
Whoa!? The eel is so good!
After eating, I made sure to save half for Koke-chan.
While browsing the available skills, I found one called [Perseverance] and acquired it. It raised my [Taboo] level, but I also got [Heresy Nullification], a top-tier skill I’d been hoping for—talk about lucky!
As I resisted the temptation to eat the rest of the eel and kept watch, Koke-chan’s evolution seemed to be finishing.
The spherical Kokedama began to crumble rapidly, moss withering and falling apart.
What emerged was a dark green cocoon—much smaller than Koke-chan’s original size.
We used to be about the same size, but now Koke-chan is tiny.
Maybe just a little bigger than one of those snail-bugs from the Lower Stratum?
She looks so small and fragile, like she could be crushed by any monster without effort.
But then I checked her stats and had to rethink everything.
What the heck is with these extreme stats!?
Okay, high MP and magic make sense, but she also has massive HP, defense, and resistance. All of those are more than double mine.
But her attack and speed? Practically zero. It’s not just bad—it’s catastrophic.
I honestly thought, “Did we just screw up...?”
That thought hit me hard.
But then, I heard her voice—and realized now wasn’t the time to be doubting.
(Will you carry me… and fight with me...?)
It was a voice I’d never heard before—trembling with fear and raw uncertainty.
Usually, she spoke cheerfully, almost overly so. But this time, it was fragile and pained.
Her voice stabbed me right in the heart.
I’m the one who made her choose this path.
I pushed her toward this harsh future like it was no big deal.
But even so, I couldn’t say anything.
Even if I could use telepathy, I don’t think I’d be able to express even a fraction of what I’m feeling.
And knowing that, I had no way to let these emotions out.
So all I could do was nod, carrying this guilt deep inside me.
And then, Koke-chan said to me—with all her feelings behind it—
(...Thank you!)
…I said nothing and lifted her onto my back.
I was worried that my threads might burn away since they’re not magically reinforced, but Koke-chan kept casting anti-fire spells on them. Thanks to her, I could safely wrap and secure her to me.
Then, after finishing the eel she could no longer eat, I started walking forward.
—I have to protect her.
At least until her next evolution.
Feeling the weight on my back, I made that silent vow.
***
Well then, despite various things happening along the way, our party finally arrived at a place that could only be described as a lake of magma.
My [Parallel Thinking] evolved into [Parallel Minds], and things got pretty noisy in my head.
Also, while we were exploring, both [Detection] and [Appraisal] hit LV10. When I grumbled, "Isn't there anything new?", a certain higher administrator D suddenly pushed a skill onto me called [Wisdom].
Thanks to that, I started to really think—"Wait, isn’t this world kinda strange?"—and I got scared.
But then I thought, even if something like that is out there, I can’t do anything about it, so I just have to survive the present. That fired me up again.
While I was lost in thought, the silk I’d set as a bookmark caught fire and almost ignited my body, but Koke-chan made it rain and saved me.
...Though since I stayed deep in thought without snapping out of it, she ended up dumping a huge splash of water on me.
Then, Koke-chan noticed something was up and saw the skill [Wisdom], got furious at its capabilities, and just started repeating, "So unfair... so unfair…"
Well, it was a skill that pretty much stole the thunder from Koke-chan, who specializes in magic.
When I tried using magic with it, the precision was so insane she sulked again and went full drama mode, muttering, “I’m just a useless child, huh…” and I had to listen to her grumbling voice the whole time.
There were also things like testing out Evil Eye-type skills that became available once I acquired [Perseverance].
Yep… a lot happened.
Though I feel like it was mostly my fault, I choose not to worry about it.
I’m a girl who doesn’t look back on the past… Heh.
Anyway, it looked like the only way forward was by hopping across small islands floating in magma, so we carefully leapt from one to the next.
While I was thinking, “Wonder if there’s anything edible nearby,” Koke-chan warned me.
(Five hundred meters ahead in the magma: strong monster presence, five eels, and a large group of seahorses. Be careful.)
I immediately activated [Stealth] to hide my presence and focused.
It didn’t look like there was anything at first glance, but Middle Stratum monsters tend to hide in the magma, so visual detection wasn’t reliable.
Even though I tried using the [Detection] skill now integrated with [Wisdom], Koke-chan’s sensing ability was still better—while I could catch the big ones, the finer details like the seahorses escaped me.
I thought maybe we could detour to avoid them—fighting a whole group would be too dangerous—but it turned out we had no choice but to pass right in front of them. So battle was unavoidable.
Fully aware of the risk, I made up my mind to proceed.
Step by step, I moved forward—and then it showed its face from the magma.
Elroe Gunesohka—a proper Fire Wyrm with a fearsome face, shaped like a long Eastern dragon. An upper-tier fire dragon species.
On top of that, it had skills like [Leadership] and [Cooperation], and it started summoning its seahorse underlings one after another.
…This might be bad.
As I was thinking that, Koke-chan shouted:
(Leave the seahorses to me! Kumoko-chan, focus on the Fire Wyrm!)
As soon as the magic circles deployed around me, they activated instantly and exploded the freshly emerged seahorses.
They didn’t even get a chance to process what was happening—just died the moment they were summoned. I almost felt sorry for them.
But I knew that leaving them be would be dangerous, so honestly, I was grateful Koke-chan was thinning their numbers so efficiently.
With the seahorses ineffective, only the eels and the Fire Wyrm launched breath attacks—but since it wasn’t full-area suppression, I just barely managed to dodge.
However, the narrow platforms didn’t give me enough room to move freely, and I gradually got pushed to the edge.
Then, just when I had nowhere left to go—left, right, or back—a fireball came at me.
I leapt high into the air, feeling intense heat pass under me, then used the momentum to shoot web and stick to the ceiling.
Even as we clung up there, more fireballs came from two directions. I trusted my partner to handle one of them, while I slammed a massive toxic water orb—crafted from maxed-out [Poison Synthesis]—at the fireball in front.
The poison orb and the fireball exploded upon contact, and the leftover venom that didn’t evaporate rained down onto the Fire Wyrm’s forces.
Even small amounts of my spider poison are lethally toxic. The seahorses that kept respawning were instantly killed, and the unfortunate eel that inhaled it had its HP shredded and soon perished.
Looking good! At this rate, we can win!
…Or so I thought. But then my leg got caught mid-molt from a level-up.
—Crap!? I’m falling!
My footing slipped as the platform moved away, and the Fire Wyrm took the chance to hurl another fire attack.
I can’t dodge this one!
(I won’t let Kumoko-chan get hurt!)
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew from the side, shoving our small bodies out of the breath attack’s range.
Where we were blown to, there happened to be an island floating in the magma—and we spun in midair as we landed.
After adjusting my posture and sticking the landing, I saw the aftermath: nearly all the seahorses were annihilated, four heavily wounded eels remained, and the Fire Wyrm, radiating battle spirit, was still standing.
There were originally five eels, but I guess one died from the poison.
The others were still having their HP shredded by Koke-chan’s continuous magic bombardment, their bodies falling apart.
One eel ignored the raining magic and lunged at me, but I didn’t fear a half-dead eel. I easily dodged and slashed it with my sickle coated in corrosive venom.
I did lose one foreleg in the process, but I sliced through the eel’s body with ease, killing it.
Koke-chan rushed over and cast a healing spell, but before it took effect, my level-up recovery had already restored the missing leg.
Now then—four more left.
Time for the Evil Eye!
…Or so I thought, but then Koke-chan, now furious, launched a vicious assault and quickly took down the remaining eels. Only the Fire Wyrm was left.
But thanks to Koke-chan unleashing her full strength with all sorts of magic and skills, the Fire Wyrm was overwhelmed by various status ailments, completely paralyzed and spasming.
…Yep, status effects are super strong.
I joined my hands in silent prayer for the Fire Wyrm, which must have been paralyzed with fear from being unable to move.
Please… may you pass without too much suffering.
After dragging the defeated eels and Fire Wyrm onto solid ground, Koke-chan turned to me and said:
There’s something I want to try. Is that okay?
Of course, go ahead.
([Greed]… activated. Success. Next, [Dominion]… failed?)
As Koke-chan activated her skills, light burst from the Fire Wyrm’s body and got sucked entirely into her.
Suddenly, I felt her presence—or rather, the energy she contained—skyrocket and expand dramatically.
Startled, I turned to her. Koke-chan spoke in a voice so bright and cheerful it almost glowed.
(But… yeah. Okay! With this… with this, I can get stronger!)
Her tone was adorably cute, yet for some reason, a chill ran down my spine.
While the level-up and title acquisition announcement echoed around us, I just casually let it slide.
Blissfully unaware of Koke-chan’s true condition, I nonchalantly thought, “Maybe I should call myself Demon Lord if I get strong enough.”
At the time… I still didn’t realize anything.
***
"Then, let us begin the meeting. Balt."
"Yes, ma’am."
The voice of Maou-sama initiating the meeting.
In response, I proceed with facilitating the session.
"Let’s start with reports from each division. We’ll begin with the First Army."
Following the usual procedure, we begin hearing the current activity updates.
"…We’re ready to march at a moment’s notice if you give the word. That is all."
"The Second Army is the same. If we are granted a bit more time, our covert operations may bear fruit."
"Th-the Third Army… Everything’s goin’ fine, dasu."
"The Fourth Army has no issues."
"The Fifth Army, no anomalies to report, Maou-sama."
"The Sixth Army is proceeding without delay~"
"……………………"
"Haa… Blow."
"Tch, the Seventh Army, no problems."
Even though he’s my younger brother, I really wish he’d stop ruining the atmosphere every time…
Still, I fulfill my role not as a brother, but as a close aide to Maou-sama.
"The Eighth Army, no problems at all~"
That one’s got plenty of issues, but at least he behaves normally during meetings, so it’s fine.
The real problem comes next.
"The Ninth Army is also ready to march without any issue."
Clad in black armor, black skin, black hair. His real name is unknown — he is simply called Kuro (Black).
"The Tenth Army, no issues."
"I have nothing to add. Everything is proceeding smoothly."
In stark contrast, everything about this girl is white. Her identity is also unknown, and she’s referred to only as Shiro (White).
Her robe, skin, hair — all an unhealthy, sickly white. A girl who keeps her eyelids shut.
At her side is a very small girl who rarely speaks, always accompanying Shiro.
She wears a dark green robe and a witch’s hat, and her voluminous hair hides most of her petite figure.
Since Shiro tends to be too taciturn to report properly, this girl often speaks up to supplement her explanations.
Honestly, I wish she would just report from the start…
She, too, is unnamed, and perhaps because of her appearance, she is referred to as Koke.
These three were brought into the ranks of the executives by Maou-sama.
Their origins are unknown. But we can imagine — and that unsettling nature inspires dread.
"Yes, yes, things are going smoothly~"
Maou-sama smiles, clearly pleased as she surveys the various expressions on the faces of the demon army’s officers.
"Well then—shall we begin the war?"
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